When Mick Jones of Foreigner demands to know what love is, the “Bibliofiles” have the answer and a couple of reading recommendations to help him figure it out. 

On a recent segment for KCUR’s Central Standard, the Bibliofiles gathered to talk about romance novels and the fan outrage that started with this piece in The New York Times' Book Review section. Before romance-reading fans get fired up again, read these two rebuttals from Ron Hogan and Sarah Wendell. They respond with a great deal of professionalism and respect for a genre that gets little of either from many in the literary community, readers, writers, critics, and publishers alike.

THEN cue up the KCUR Bibliofiles segment and listen to a chat about why readers like romance (not just for the steamy parts), why Mark thinks ‘unhappily ever after’ endings are also romantic, why Jeffrey Ann thinks she may be a book snob (but she’s willing to change her mind), and get some terrific reading recommendations from callers as close as Overland Park and as far away as Kentucky.

The heart-shaped message we hope you take away is this: Read what you love. Don’t criticize what other readers love. Read with love. And your libraries love when you read.


Check out the recommended reading list in our catalog

Listen to program audio